Daily Gospel Reflection
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November 30, 2025
Jesus said to his disciples:
“As it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
In those days before the flood,
they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage,
up to the day that Noah entered the ark.
They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away.
So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man.
Two men will be out in the field;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Two women will be grinding at the mill;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Therefore, stay awake!
For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.
Be sure of this: if the master of the house
had known the hour of night when the thief was coming,
he would have stayed awake
and not let his house be broken into.
So too, you also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
I love this gospel for the start of Advent. When Jesus says, “Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come,” I think back to Christmas Eve as a child. I remember lying in bed for hours, entirely too excited to sleep. I was not awake out of fear; I was awake because I knew something good was coming.
I admit, truthfully and unabashedly, that the same feelings of anticipation remain. I am still genuinely excited for Christmas—the lights, the laughter, and the deep sense that something good and holy is near. That is what Jesus calls us to this Advent: to stay spiritually awake, not with worry but with hope and expectation.
Jesus compares his coming to the days of Noah, when people were so absorbed in daily life that they missed what God was doing. Advent reminds us to pause amid the decorating, shopping, and celebrating, to let go of the pressure to be perfect, and to prepare our hearts for Christ.
That call to stay awake came alive for me at the National Championship service project in Atlanta last year, when more than 250 alumni gathered to rehabilitate a home for homeless and abused teens. Seeing the Notre Dame family unite reminded me of the power we share when we notice where Christ is needed and respond with love.
As we light the first candle of Advent, may we stay awake in hope and be a Force for Good. Even small acts, such as kind words, shared time, or quiet generosity, can awaken Christ’s love in the world. And while I know Advent is not just a countdown, there are only 24 more sleeps until the big day. Merry Christmas season, Irish family!
Prayer
Lord, come to save us! All those years ago you came down to us from heaven, to little, forgotten Bethlehem. Then you saved us, Lord, by your cross and resurrection. Come to us again. Save us now as we prepare to celebrate how you became a person, poor and weak and small, a person like us. We thank you for all our many blessings. We ask you for what we still need. On this first Sunday of Advent, help us to watch, to be alert, to wait with Mary and Joseph until you come again. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Andrew stands out from the other disciples because he was the first to respond to the invitation to follow Christ. He is known in the Greek Church as the Protoclete—"first called."
Like his brother, Simon Peter, Andrew was born in Galilee, traditionally thought to be Bethsaida, and grew up near the lake of Genesareth to become a fisherman. He became a follower of John the Baptist until, one day, John pointed to Jesus and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” (John 1:35-51).
In a homily on this passage in the Gospel of John, St. John Chrysostom writes:
"Andrew's words reveal a soul waiting with the utmost longing for the coming of the Messiah, looking forward to his appearing from heaven, rejoicing when he does appear, and hastening to announce so great an event to others. To support one another in the things of the spirit is the true sign of good will between brothers, of loving kinship and sincere affection."
Andrew not only saw the Light of the World when John the Baptist pointed him out but carried that light clearly and brightly to his brother, Peter.
Andrew and Simon remained fishermen for a time until Jesus called them away and promised to make them fishers of people. Tradition holds that Andrew traveled to Greece to spread the good news after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension.
It is claimed that he was martyred by being tied (not nailed) to a cross in the shape of an “X," and that he lived for two days on the cross and continued to preach to those gathered around him, but this is unlikely as the X-shaped cross was not known before the 14th century. Nevertheless, Andrew is most often depicted holding a cross of this shape.
St. Andrew is the patron saint of Greece and Russia, where it is claimed he traveled to preach. He is also a patron of Scotland, though he did not visit there—that designation comes from another saint who protected his relics.
St. Regulus, a native of Greece, was designated to protect St. Andrew's relics in the fourth century. It is told that he was warned in a dream by an angel to take part of those relics and start to journey northwest, "towards the end of the earth." He received a sign to stop at the place now known as St. Andrews, Scotland, where Regulus built a church to hold them. Regulus was named bishop and taught the faith to the Scots for 30 years.
Relics of St. Andrew also rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica. He is depicted in several places on campus, including in a statue above the door to Morrissey Manor (shown above). The chapel in the residence of Holy Cross priests on campus, Corby Hall, is named after St. Andrew.
St. Andrew, who was first to follow Jesus and to lead others to Christ—pray for us!
